TUJ Circle

The Communication Network of Temple University, Japan Campus

‘black’

Being Black in Japan (Part 3 – The Dancing Jigger Toy[1])

I’ve been procrastinating on this post because this is probably the most difficult/uncomfortable thing that’s happened to me in Japan–well, race-related. Now that I think about it, it might very well be the most uncomfortable, race-related situation that has happened to me in my life. And instead of drawing it out, I want to get right into what happened.

It was the middle of May.

My old roommate Kira introduced my to my favorite place on earth, the bar I mentioned in my previous post. After I went there twice with Kira, the bar owner and his wife invited us and a few others to their house for an okonomiyaki party. As we stepped into their house, I noticed that the house looked a lot like their bar–full of American paraphernalia. All sorts of gadgets and toys lined their walls and shelves. Cans of Campbell’s soup, a box of Stove Top stuffing mix, figurines of the Budweiser toads, 1950’s Coco Cola bottles, a stuffed animal of Alf (the 1980’s television show), Tom and Jerry mugs, etc. If you name something American, I’m sure they have a replica of it in their house. And if not, it’s in their bar.
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Being Black in Japan (Part 3 – The Dancing Jigger Toy[2])

[This is Part 2. Click here for Part 1.]

Yes, I was uncomfortable beyond words.

I had a slew of different thoughts that kept hitting me at 1,000,000 MPH. The most important thoughts/questions were:
Why did he show ME that toy??
Doesn’t he understand where that toy comes from?
Doesn’t he understand the history behind toys like that?
Does he not know how many Black people have died to fight racist things like that?

More importantly, I wouldn’t even be here in Japan studying Communications and Japanese if it weren’t for my parents and grandparents who fought for their rights and the rights of their children.

But I couldn’t say any of that. Not only did I not know how to say that in Japanese, but I was completely speechless. What do you say to a toy like that in such a friendly environment?

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Being Black in Tokyo (Part 1-Racism)

As an African-American female living in Tokyo, I am reminded everyday just how unique my life truly is. Ordinary, mundane things (such as walking to class, sitting in class, riding the train) all remind me of the obvious: there aren’t many Black women in Japan. Whenever I do see a Black woman here, I always wonder what her life is like and if she likes Japan as much as I do. What made her come here? Where’s she from, and what does her family/friends think of her being here? Is she learning Japanese too?

But the questions never get answered because we never get a chance to speak to each other. It’s either a slight nod of acknowledgment, or barely any acknowledgment at all. This doesn’t bother me, but I do find it a little puzzling because Black men here almost always speak with other Black men. There’s like an unspoken code between the two strangers. There’s either a nod, or a handshake, or the two might even stop and have a brief conversation. It amazes me every time I see it.

But anyway, before coming to Tokyo, I didn’t know what to expect and I had a lot of questions swimming through my head about being Black in Japan. As it turns out, many Black females interested in Japan ask themselves similar questions. The three main ones being:

1) Is there racism in Tokyo?

2) Do Japanese men like Black women?

3) What am I going to do with my hair while I’m there?

The last one sounds quite comical, but when I did research online about Black women in Tokyo, the forums and short comments on blogs always had some form of this question. I could explain how hair and the Black woman share a connection culturally… but it would take me all day to explain. And the purpose of this post isn’t about that, now is it? :)

Now, where were we? Ah yes, racism in Tokyo.
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